drilling out rivets to reuse Cam gear (-2 size NLA)
 

For those who are about to attempt the rebuild of a VW type 4 engine (aka 914 engine)....be warned that drilling out the 5 rivets which holds the cam gear to the worn camshaft is more difficult than it seems (even when you have a drill press!!). The much better way to remove them is to file them off or saw them off (with hack saw) at the cam shaft end-you're free to do all the damage necessary to remove the ends of the rivets at this end without touching the aluminum gear.

I tried drilling out the rivets at the gear end and cut up some parts of the gear which is no longer available as a $35 part due to its' odd size (-2). Now I'm praying it wasn't damaged beyond use and have sent it to a machinist for proper countersinking for the new bolts to mount the Webcam 00-472 cam.

would a dremel fit in there? would the dremel cut off wheel work?

can you replace the crank and cam gears with -0 gears?

I've found that a Dremel cut-off wheel is incredibly useful for such tasks. A good quality wheel can cut through hardened steel like butter, and with care, you can avoid damaging the surrounding material. One caveat - MAKE SURE YOU WEAR EYE PROTECTION! The wheels tend to explode when they crack, a thick shop apron and full-face protection wouldn't be a bad idea.

The sizing represents the diameter of the gears relative to the center differences between the crank and cam gears so when they sit in the case there is no mismatch. I think the zero gears will not work in this case (or else why make odd size cam gears in the past??).

A grinding tool or hack saw is the way to go for the future if I need to reuse any Cam gears. But it's better to go to a machinist with a lathe for foolproof removal of those stupid rivets.

Happy New Year to all:)

This is very good advice. The Dremel cutoff wheel is a great tool, but I've found that the best working position for seeing what you are doing always puts your eyes on the same plane as the whizzing cutter. Not cool. Sparks, chips, and shattered tool pieces seem to find my face like a tornado finds a trailer park.

I also recommend the extra money for the fiberglass reinforced cutoff wheel. They cost a lot more (comparatively speaking) but they last longer than the compressed abrasive ones and are inherently safer because they resist shattering so much better.

--Case...

Here ya go this face shield will help. Protects the face vs just the eyes..... and does not steam up like the glasses do at times.


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